Our ordinary life
by JoScarlett
Summary: What if Bella's parents never got a divorce and were still happily married? What if their neighbors were Dr. and Mrs. Cullen with their three adopted children Emmett, Edward and Alice? And what if their neighbors were Mr. and Mrs. Hale and their twins Rosalie and Jasper? What if they were all human and just grew up together? What if they all led an ordinary life...
1. Introduction

**_A/N: Hi everyone! I just had an idea and I don't know if this has been done before or anything, but I thought it might be fun. I'm having so much fun writing a little Bella that I thought it would be fun to write a fanfic about all of them as children. They're all human and eight and nine years old at the beginning of this story. Don't worry I'm not going to abandon my other story at all! I could never do that. This was just an idea I came up with all of a sudden. Please let me know what you think and leave a review! _**

**_Disclaimer: SM owns it all._**

POV'S : Bella, Edward. 

* * *

_Bella's POV. _

You could say that I led a very normal life. There was nothing special about. I lived in a two-story house with my mom and dad – still happily married – in a small town called Forks. We had a small garden in which my mom loved to work, owned a cat and I went to school every day like any other kid. My dad was the Chief of Police, so you could find his cruiser in the driveway whenever you passed our little house.

Their wasn't anything special about me either. I was just a normal eight-year old girl.

I had long curly, dark brown hair, brown eyes and a pale skin. I didn't have a strange posture either. Just average. That's what I was: Average.

I wasn't particularly smart, but not stupid either. I got decent grades in school. Nothing to shout about, but good enough. I didn't have any special talents either. I wasn't particularly musical, or good with a pencil and I was actually a nightmare when it came to sports.

I didn't really have the necessary hand-eye coordination to play most of them, as my parents had put it.

If I had to pick one thing I was rather good at it would be reading. I loved to read, but that wouldn't be something that earned you a trophy. That didn't really matter, I wasn't that fond of attention in the first place, so I guess it was a good thing that I never had to put myself in those kinds of situations. I guess others would call me shy.

But all of this didn't really matter, because I was more than happy with my life. I had loving parents, a nice home, and most important of all, I had a great set of friends. Living in a small town had it's pros and cons. Everyone knew everything about everyone. Most of us kids had all grown up together. Our parents had grown up together. Why, even our grandparents had grown up together. So as you can guess, everyone in town was pretty close. It was a small, but great town. And that's how I spent most of my days, with my friends. My best friends lived practically next door. They were all a family in a way, a strange, but loving family.

Dr. and Mrs. Cullen lived next door, literally. They had three children. All of them were adopted. My mother had told me one day that Mrs. Cullen couldn't have any children of her own and that's why they had adopted theirs, but that it didn't matter. They were their parents just like my parents were mine. They had two sons and one daughter.

Emmett was the oldest. He was one year older than I was. Well, one and a half actually. I had just turned eight and he would be ten in a few months. He had dark, curly hair and bright blue eyes. He was a little tall for his age and liked to play sports. As you may guess, it wasn't a passion we really shared.

Then their was Alice and she was my age. Just a little over a month older than I was. In contrast to Emmett she was rather small for her age. She was even shorter than I was and I wasn't very tall to begin with. She had a slight figure and short, spiky black hair. She had brown eyes, just like me and was also rather pale. But then again, we all were. Everyone in this town was as pale as a sheet. I guess it had something to do with the weather. It was rarely sunny here and it rained most of the time.

Alice didn't really enjoy sports either, but she wasn't as bad at it as I was. She mostly enjoyed the girly things in life, you could say. That wasn't really my thing either, but it was hard to resist her enthusiasm. She loved to play dress-up and she always wanted to sneak up to her mother's room and put on her make-up. She dragged me with her most of the time. She on the other hand really was good with a pencil. She loved to draw and she was really good at it too. She always said she wanted to be fashion designer and I had no doubt she would be great someday.

And then there was Edward. He wasn't the youngest actually, Alice was. Just a few months, but still. Edward and I were also the same age. His birthday just happened to be a few months before mine. Edward had a very strange hair color compared to the rest of us. I guess it was reddish-brown. It was a pretty color though. His eyes were a startling shade of green and, just like everyone else, he was pale. His hair always seemed a little tangled. As if he had just come out of a storm. That wasn't the case, his hair just happened to grow that way. I guess you could say he had an average posture as well. He was perhaps a little small for his age, but it wasn't really obvious. He wore a pair of glasses, which Emmett always teased him about. I didn't really see the problem. He looked fine the way he was.

Edward wasn't really into sports either, maybe that was the reason why Emmett also liked to tease him. Again, he wasn't as bad at it as I was, but he had other passions. He enjoyed music and he played the piano. He was also very smart. Unlike mine, his grades really were something to shout about. He was top of our class. I was always grateful when he offered to help me with my homework. Especially calculus, since I was really bad at it.

He wasn't a very outspoken person either, and maybe that was why I really liked to be around him. I guess you could really call him my best friend. All of them were my friends, but Edward and I had always been close. It was just the way it was.

Then there was the Hale family. The lived next to the Cullens. Mr. and Mrs. Hale had two children. They weren't adopted, like the Cullen children were. The had a son and a daughter. They were twins. Rosalie and Jasper were both nine, just like Emmett.

Rosalie was a very pretty girl with long blond hair and violet blue eyes. She already had a beautiful figure and I had no doubt she would look even more beautiful in a few years.

She always wore pretty dresses and hated sports. Not because she was bad at it, but because she didn't want to get all dirty. If Alice was a girly-girl in a lot of ways, it was nothing compared to Rosalie. Unlike me, she enjoyed attention more than anything. Yes, Rosalie and I were opposites in most ways, but then again we were all very different. It somehow didn't seem to matter.

Then there was Jasper, Rosalie's twin brother. He also had blond hair, but his eyes were brown. Not as dark as mine were, but a softer brown. He had an average posture for his age and, like Emmett, he also enjoyed sports. They usually played together, but Jasper also enjoyed reading, like I did. We didn't exactly enjoy the same kind of stories, but it was something we both liked to talk about. He enjoyed reading war-stories and, as you can probably guess, his favorite subject in school was History. He was really good at it too. He didn't really care about all the other subjects, but he was top of the class when it came to History. We weren't in the same grade, since he was a year older than me, but it was a small town and thus a very small school. You just knew everything about everyone like I said before.

Yes, they all were my best friends in the whole world. The six of us were really close. We always did everything together. I think I was probably closed to Edward and Alice because we were in the same grade, and like I said before, Edward truly was my best friend. We hung out most, if that was even possible since I saw every one of them every day. It wasn't that strange since we were all neighbors. All of our parents were really close as well, and we had been thrown together since- well, since birth I guess. The Cullens had adopted all of them when they were just babies. They didn't know any better, and neither did I.

And that was also were I was headed right now. To the Cullens. I grabbed my coat and headed to the front door.

'' Mom, I'll be next door! '' I yelled, shrugging into my coat.

'' Okay, sweetheart! '' I heard her yell from somewhere upstairs. '' Say hi to Esme for me! ''

'' I will! ''

Oh, right. Esme was Mrs. Cullen, but you had probably already guessed that. I stepped outside and pulled my hood up. It was raining again. I ran across our yard and jumped over the low fence that stood between our houses. I ran up their driveway and banged on the front door.

It was answered a few seconds later by Esme. She smiled at me and opened the door to let me in.

'' Hi, Bella, '' she said warmly, closing the door and helping me out of my coat.

'' They're all upstairs. You know where to find them. '' She chuckled. Yes, I would know where to find them by now. I laughed and stepped on the heels of my boots to take them off.

'' Mom says hi, '' I said, stumbling a little.

'' That's nice, '' Esme said, smiling again. '' I was just about to call her about dinner this Friday. ''

Right, they always did that on Fridays. Sometimes on other days as well, but Fridays were a tradition. We all ate together. Like I said, our families were really close.

I managed to take my boots of eventually and I headed up the stairs. I crossed the hallway and opened the last door on the right. This house was a little bigger than ours, so we played here most of the time.

'' Hi, guys! '' I called, stepping into the room. Carlisle and Esme had built this room a few years ago so that we could all play together.

Oh, Carlisle is Dr. Cullen, of course. I hadn't mentioned that before.

'' Hey, Bella, '' Edward answered, smiling up at me from the floor. He was seated there, cross-legged with a book in his hands. I went to sit next to him on one of the pillows.

'' What are you reading? '' I asked, looking at the book in his hands.

A comic book. Figures. He loved those. I could understand why our classmates called him a nerd. He had all the ingredients after all. Good grades, glasses, no sense of fashion unless Alice forced him to wear nice clothes for once, and a strange obsession with comic books amongst other things. He was reading Spiderman today.

'' Spiderman, '' he answered, smiling up at me. He had a slightly crooked smile. I always called it the Edward-smile. He was the only one I knew who ever smiled like that. I liked his smile, though.

'' I should've known, '' I said, laughing and nudging his shoulder with mine. He chuckled and turned his attention back to his comic book. We often sat in silence. It wasn't uncomfortable. I liked it this way. It was peaceful.

'' Bella! ''

I rolled my eyes when I heard that voice. Alice, of course. No one else would squeal like that for no reason.

'' Hi, Alice! '' I called, shaking my head a little. She bounced into the room with a big smile on her face and I noticed that she had found Esme's make-up again. I just hoped she wasn't going to drag me along this time. The last time she had used me as a canvas it had taken almost an hour to clean my face again.

'' Where are the others? '' I asked, but before Alice could answer the door burst open again and the others ran into the room.

'' What's up, Bella? '' Jasper said, grinning at me.

'' Hi, Jazz, '' I said, waving a little.

'' Em, did you find it yet? '' Jasper called over his shoulder.

'' No, stop badgering me! ''

I frowned at Jasper, confused.

'' He's lost this video game we wanted to play, '' he explained, rolling his eyes. '' You really need to clean that room of yours, '' he added, calling over his shoulder again. '' Pigs live cleaner than you do! ''

'' Well, of course they do, '' Edward said suddenly, without looking up from his comic book.

'' Pigs are actually rather intelligent creatures. They value their living space. ''

Jasper looked at Edward and raised an eyebrow. Edward didn't look up and just continued reading as if he hadn't spoken at all. I stifled a giggle.

'' Nerd, '' Jasper muttered under his breath.

'' Edward, you do know that no girl is even going to like you if you behave like a total loser all the time, right? '' Rosalie said suddenly, admiring her own reflection in a mirror.

'' That's not true, '' I disagreed. '' I like him. ''

Rosalie looked up from her mirror to roll her eyes at me. '' Not like that, '' she said, as if she was explaining something obvious. '' He will never get a girlfriend if he acts that way all the time. ''

I frowned at her and Edward looked up from his comic book again. '' I guess I'm lucky I don't really care about those sort of things, Rose, '' he said, smiling slightly at her.

'' By the way, '' he added, smirking a little. '' Do you know how a blond's braincells die? ''

She frowned at him now, but didn't answer.

'' Alone, '' he said, chuckling.

She glared at him. '' Nerd. ''

I laughed along with Edward. He and Rosalie always had these kinds of conversations. They were just too different. It still didn't matter though. Like I said, we were all friends. We were there for each other when one of us needed it.

'' Found it! '' Emmett yelled after a few minutes.

'' Finally, '' Jasper yelled back, crashing down on the couch in front of the TV. '' Put it in already, I want to start. ''

This was the way it always went. I liked it this way. This was my second home and we were all a family. The Cullens and the Hales were my second family.

'' Edward? '' I asked after a few minutes.

'' Hm? '' he said, not looking up from his comic book.

'' Can you help with calculus again? '' I asked, blushing a little. Oh, right. This was also a trade of mine. Blushing. As if I needed more to embarrass myself. I was clumsy and I blushed all the time. People always laughed about that. I wasn't exactly a popular girl either. Not like Rosalie. She was the post popular girl in school. All the girls wanted to be like her and the boys had a crush on her. It made me a little jealous sometimes, but than I remembered that I probably wouldn't like the attention once I got it.

'' Sure, '' Edward said, closing his comic book. He stood up and grabbed our calculus books and a pen. He sat down again and placed the books on the floor in front of us.

I shifted my legs and laid down on my stomach, taking the pen Edward was offering me.

'' Rose! '' I heard Alice squeal after a few minutes. '' Let me do your hair today, please? ''

I was happy she hadn't asked me today. Rose wouldn't mind.

'' Okay, '' she agreed, angling her body a little so that Alice could brush and braid her hair.

'' Bella, '' Edward said after a minute, nudging me with his elbow. '' Are you even paying attention? ''

'' What? '' I asked, dazed. My mind had wandered off a little. Calculus was very boring after all, but I needed a good grade to pass. Edward frowned and rolled his eyes.

'' Pay attention, '' he said, emphasizing the words.

'' Sorry, '' I said, looking at the numbers and figures again. '' This is just boring.''

'' No, it's not, '' Edward disagreed. '' It's actually quite fun once you understand it. ''

'' Sure, '' I said, rolling my at him.

He turned his attention back to our books and continued to explain everything to me.

I tried to focus this time, but it was difficult.

'' Yeah! '' Jazz suddenly yelled, smacking his hand on the couch. '' Loser! ''

I looked up and saw Emmett frowning at the screen. Right, another thing you needed to know about Emmett. He was a really sore loser. He was also a big coward. He may seem like a big guy, but he acted nothing like it.

'' Please, don't start pouting again, Emmett, '' Rose called, sighing heavily. '' You're such a baby. ''

Emmett crossed his arms and stared out the window, trying not to cry I suppose. Yes, he cried when he lost a game. I know, I know. Like I said, he wasn't as tough as he looked.

'' Guys! '' Esme called from downstairs. '' Time to go home! '' I looked up at the clock on the wall and realized it was already five thirty. Dinner would be ready soon. I scrambled to my foot, staggering a little and Edward caught my elbow to steady me.

'' Clumsy Bella, '' he chuckled. I blushed again.

'' Thanks, '' I mumbled, not really looking at him. They were used to my clumsiness by now.

My balance has always been terrible.

'' See you tomorrow, '' I said, walking toward the door.

'' See you, Bella, '' the others called. '' Don't fall down the stairs, '' Jasper added, laughing at me now.

'' I'll see what I can do, '' I grumbled, turning the doorknob.

I made my way down the stairs, very carefully, but managed to trip on the last step nevertheless. I stumbled forward and managed to hold myself upright somehow, clinging on the peg. I muttered under my breath, put my boots on and grabbed my coat.

'' Bye, Esme! '' I called.

'' Bye, Bella! '' she called back from somewhere in the kitchen. '' Say hi to your parents! ''

'' I will! ''

I opened the door and frowned at the rain. It put my hood up and ran back toward my house.

I jumped over the low fence again and rushed across the yard, in a hurry to get inside.

'' I'm back, '' I called when I had closed the front door behind me.

'' Just in time, '' my mom said, stepping into the hallway. '' Dinner's almost ready. ''

'' Esme says hi, '' I said, shrugging out of my coat again.

'' Yes, she called me a while ago, '' my mom said, smiling now. '' About Friday. ''

'' Yeah, she said that, '' I mumbled, nodding my head. '' Is dad home already? ''

'' He'll be here any moment. ''

'' What's for dinner? ''

'' Steak and potatoes with a salad. ''

'' What? '' I asked, smirking a little. '' No new recipes today? '' My mom was a rather imaginative cook and she like to experiment. Her experiments weren't always edible though.

She laughed. '' Not today. I didn't want to give your dad a heart attack again ''

I laughed at that. My dad didn't really care for all the experiments. He was a practical man.

I followed my mom back into the kitchen and fell down into one of the unmatching chairs.

We talked a little about our day while she finished dinner.

'' I'm home, '' my dad called from the hallway, grunting a little. He walked into the kitchen a minute later. He was wearing his uniform and he took out his gun. He always removed the bullets as soon as he came home. I guess he was worried that I would shoot myself accidentally or something. I knew better than to go anywhere near that thing though.

'' Hi, sweetheart, '' my mom said, turning her head a little to kiss him. '' How was your day?''

'' Fine, '' he grunted, shrugging out of his jacket. '' A little trouble with some teenagers this afternoon, but it was already sorted out by the time I got there. ''

'' What was it about? '' I asked curiously.

'' Just boys being boys, '' he answered vaguely. I frowned at that but didn't ask further.

He probably didn't want me to know. Perhaps he was worried it would give me ideas. I doubted that though. I wasn't that much of a daredevil.

My mom served dinner and babbled on about her day and our plans for Friday. My dad grunted every now and then to let her know that he was listening. It was the same every day. My dad wasn't a man of much words. I guess I had inherited that from him. My mother on the other hand always had something to talk about. My mom and dad were opposites in a lot of ways, but I guess that was why they had found each other. Instead of being complete strangers to one another they somehow managed to balance it out. Keep each other in check. My dad was forced to be a little more social every now and then and my mother needed to be reigned in every now and then. I smiled a little and shook my head.

I loved my parents. They were amazing.

Like I said, I led a very normal life. There wasn't anything special or exciting about it, but I was content. I was happy with my life. I had wonderful parents, a great set of friends and I lived in a nice house. What more could an average girl ask for?

* * *

_Edward's POV. _

'' What's up, nerd? '' Emmett said, punching my shoulder as he sat down beside me at the dinner table. I sighed and tried to ignore him, rubbing my shoulder. Every time...

'' Emmett, be nice to your brother, '' my mom said, giving him a stern look. Emmett laughed and smacked his hand on the dinner table. He always acted like a tough guy, but I knew that he wasn't. Little crybaby who couldn't stand losing a stupid little game.

'' Alice? '' my mom called up the stairs. '' Dinner! ''

'' Coming! '' I heard the high-pitched voice of my hyperactive little sister. She was probably washing her face, trying to get all the make-up off. She knew she wasn't allowed to put my mom's make-up on, but she did it anyway. I didn't understand why. She didn't need it, but then again what do I now about those things, right?

I heard the front door open and close again and I knew it was my father. My dad worked at the hospital and was a brilliant surgeon. I looked up to him. I wanted to be just like him when I grew up. Or a lawyer. I hadn't decided yet. Both would be fine with my parents. They wouldn't care as long as I was happy.

'' Daddy! '' Alice squealed, rushing down the stairs. I heard him huff after a second so I guessed that Alice had thrown herself at him. She always did that. She liked to be daddy's little girl. I didn't mind. We all had a very close relationship with our parents.

My dad entered the living room, half-carrying Alice who clung to his arms.

'' Welcome home, sweetheart, '' my mom said, smiling at him. '' How was your day? ''

'' Long, '' he said wearily, lifting Alice up and lowering her on a chair. '' That's it, sweetheart, '' he said, grunting a little. '' Daddy's a little tired. '' He walked over to my mom and kissed her briefly.

'' How was your day? '' he asked, falling down into one of the chairs.

'' Great! '' she said, putting on her oven mittens. '' I got some work done in the garden before the rain. '' My mom loved to work in the garden. I guess that was a female thing or something. I knew Bella's mother also loved to work in the garden. Our mothers often did that together.

My dad craned his neck and looked at the backyard. '' I see, '' he said, smiling wearily.

'' It looks great, dear. ''

'' Thank you, '' my mom replied, smiling affectionately at my father. She opened the oven and took our dinner out. My mom loved to cook and she was really good at it too.

'' Smells good, '' My dad commented. He stretched his arms and yawned.

My mom served dinner and we all dug in. I realized I was ravenous.

'' Dad? '' Emmett said after a minute, his mouth full of food.

'' Don't talk with your mouth full, dear, '' my mom said, frowning at Emmett.

He swallowed loudly and continued. '' Dad, did anyone die today? ''

He rolled my eyes at his question. He always asked that. He should ask my dad if he had saved any people. That would be a more appropriate question.

'' No, I managed to prevent that, '' Carlisle said, smiling at his son.

'' Did anything unusual happen? '' I asked curiously. He knew what I meant by that. I was always interested in his stories. Ever since he had taken me to work one day, on one of those bring-your-kid-to-work day, I had been hooked. Like I said, I wanted to be just like him. My dad actually saved lives. How could anyone now look up to that.

'' A teenage boy was brought in, '' he said, frowning a little. '' couldn't have been older than sixteen or seventeen. He was badly wounded. ''

'' What happened? '' I asked, engrossed.

'' Motor accident, '' he said, still frowning. '' I know you kids are still too young for all this, and thank god for that, but if I ever see you on a motorcycle there will be consequences.

Dangerous things. He could've died. It was a close call. ''

'' What were his injuries? '' I asked, still curious.

'' Several fractures, internal bleedings, he muttered, still troubled. '' The kid is lucky to be alive. Like I said, it was a close call. ''

Even though this boy was probably very stupid for riding that motorcycle, my dad had actually saved his life. Yes, my dad was a hero.

'' And how was your day, kids? '' he asked after a minute, helping himself to seconds.

'' Edward got an A on his paper, '' my mom said proudly. She had put my paper on the fridge so everyone could see it. I didn't think that was really necessary, but I also felt a little proud. I was happy that my parents were proud of me.

'' That's great, son! '' my dad said, smiling brightly at me. '' Well done! ''

'' What's so special about that? '' Emmett grumbled, looking at his plate. '' He always has top grades. '' It was just obvious that he was jealous of me. Emmett would never get top grades. He probably could if he wanted to, though. He just didn't try.

'' And Emmett has been made captain of the basketball team in school, '' Esme continued as if he hadn't interrupted her. This was the way my parents did things. We all had our accomplishments. I may be the smartest, but I could never even make the basketball team. Not because I couldn't play, but they would never let me join. I was a nerd, a loser.

And even if I would make the team by some miracle, I would never be as good as Emmett.

I wouldn't enjoy it as much as he did either. Sports were his thing, not mine.

'' Well done, boy! '' my dad said. '' You must be the youngest captain since... well, I don't know, but a long time I guess. I'm proud of you. ''

Emmett looked up from his plate now and grinned. He just wants to be praised. He needs those words. More even than I do. But I guess every child needs to hear such things from their parents.

'' And what about you Alice? '' he asked, smiling down at her.

'' All my drawings will be shown on a special evening in town! '' she said proudly.

'' They picked me! They loved my drawings, daddy! '' She bounced in her seat and clapped her hands enthusiastically.

'' That's wonderful, sweetheart, '' he beamed. '' When will that be? ''

'' Next week! ''

'' Well, I'll have to make sure to be there then, '' he said, still smiling. Alice bounced in her seat again and threw her arms around him. He had just taken a bite and almost choked on his food.

I shook my head a little. That girl would be the death of him, I swear.

I walked up the stairs again after dinner, back to my room. I liked the privacy of it.

I closed the door behind me and crashed down on my bed, looking at the ceiling. I let out a heavy sigh. I needed to get some extra homework done before I went to bed. Or, I wanted to get some extra homework done. It wasn't necessary, but I wanted to get some extra grades. I could finish my comic book after that.

'' Edward? '' my mom called after an hour or so. '' Do you want some tea? ''

'' No, I'm fine, thanks! '' I called back.

'' Okay, sweetheart! ''

I walked downstairs when I finished my homework to say goodnight to everyone. I knew it was only eight P.M, but I wanted to get some reading done and I was actually tired.

'' Goodnight, sweetheart, '' my mom said, kissing me on the cheek.

'' Goodnight dad! '' I called, peeking into the living room.

'' Goodnight, son! '' he called, turning his head around to look at me. He was seated in front of the TV in his leather chair, watching the news. Alice was right on top of him, as always.

I went back upstairs and closed my bedroom door behind me again. I changed into my pajamas and got into bed. I turned my night light on, so I could reads my comic book and laid down on my stomach. I had finished it in no time and I turned around and looked at the ceiling again. I turned the light of after a minute and closed my eyes. I couldn't really sleep yet, even though I was tired.

I was thinking about something that Rosalie had said today. That I would never get a girlfriend if I acted like such a loser all the time. I knew she said those things to me all the time and most of the time I didn't really care about that, but a small part of me wondered if I would always be seen as a nerd. As a loser. No just by girls, but by all of them. I didn't really have much friends. I guess Bella was my best friend in the whole world. She didn't care I was a nerd. She liked me just the way I was. I liked her too. Probably more than I would ever dare admit. I sighed and turned to my side. I shouldn't think about all that. It was no use. I would just go to sleep. I needed to go to sleep. I wanted to be well rested tomorrow. We had a test and I didn't want to ruin my concentration by lack of sleep.

I yawned involuntarily and felt myself drift off after a few minutes.

I dreamed I was like Spiderman. He was kind of nerdy in real life, but than he transformed himself and became this superhero. I wished I could be like that. I could save the damsel in distress. Bella was a damsel in distress every now and then. She was kind of clumsy and needed some help every now and then. I wished I were her Spiderman.

* * *

_**Okay guys, it's a little shaky, but you know - gotta start somewhere. What do you think? Is this worth continuing? Please let me know!**_

X. 

_**Jo.**_


	2. Sticking up for you

**_A/N: Chapter two! Thank you for the reviews! Enjoy the next chapter and please don't forget to review and tell me what you think! _**

**_Disclaimer: SM owns it all. _**

**_POV'S: Bella, Edward. _**

* * *

_Bella's POV. _

'' Miss Swan, Miss Cullen, '' Mr. Thomas called, frowning at the both of us. '' Will you please pay attention? ''

Alice and I had been too busy doodling all over our notebooks and laughing about the funny things we had come up with. We hadn't been paying attention to our lesson at all.

Alice led out a giggle and clapped her hands over her mouth almost immediately.

Mr. Thomas gave us a stern look again and turned back to his lecture.

It had something to do with calculus, so I should probably be paying attention, but it was just so boring. I couldn't help it. I was even going to like calculus. Not under any circumstance. I led out a heavy sigh, folded my arms on my desk and rested my chin on top of my arms. Recess was almost there and the minutes were dragging. I stared at the clock and the hands seemed to move slower every minute. Time always had the habit of slowing down when you wanted it to speed up. And it always seemed to fly when you were enjoying yourself. It should be the other way around.

'' Who can solve these equations? '' Mr. Thomas asked after a few minutes. I forced myself to look at the black board again, but had no idea what it said. There were a lot of numbers there and- Yes, that was about it. There were a lot of numbers there.

Edward's hand shot up almost immediately and I heard a few people mutter and snicker.

I wanted to smack my forehead. Of course Edward would raise his hand immediately. I knew he knew the answers, but this wasn't helping him. He was already being laughed at.

And not just that, things were getting worse lately. There were bullies everywhere and it seemed that those bullies were out to get him. I looked at one of the main bullies, Mike Newton. One of the popular boys in our class. I guess you could call him the most popular boy in our class. The others usually followed his lead.

'' Dork! '' he said with a cough, to make it seem like he hadn't said it at all, but it had been obvious. Edward ignored him completely and walked to the black board to solve the equations.

Mike Newton was snickering again and a few others followed his lead.

Alice and I sat in the back corner of the classroom and there were two girls in front of us, giggling at Mike's words. Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory. I couldn't stand either of them. I knew of course why they were giggling at Mike's words. Like I said, Mike was the most popular boy in our class and I knew that Jessica had a crush on him. Lauren on the other hand was just a mean girl. She would laugh at anything that made someone else feel bad.

'' I mean look at him, '' she hissed at Jessica who was still giggling. '' What a nerd. ''

I narrowed my eyes at her and aimed a kick against her chair. She flew into her desk and let out a scream. Everyone in the class looked at her and she turned to glare at me.

'' What was that about, Swan? '' she snapped, her nasal voice ringing through the whole classroom.

'' Don't you dare say a word about Edward, '' I snapped back at her. '' You don't even know him. ''

She sneered at me now. '' Got a crush? ''

'' No, '' I said, defiantly. '' I'm just sticking up for him, because that's what friends do! ''

'' Ladies, '' Mr. Thomas called then, frowning at the both of us. '' What's this all about? ''

'' Mr. Thomas, '' Lauren said, immediately changing her harsh tone into an innocent one. '' Bella just kicked my chair for no reason and I bumped into my desk and it really hurt. ''

'' For no reason? '' I said, trying to fight my anger, but not really managing. '' You were making fun Edward for no reason! ''

'' Bella, '' Mr. Thomas said, glaring at me now. '' We don't use physical violence. There is never a good excuse for that. I want to talk to you after school. ''

'' But, '' I started to say, but Mr. Thomas held his hand up to silence me.

'' After school, '' he said firmly. He turned his back to the class again and I scowled at him. Lauren turned in her seat and threw me a nasty smirk. I tried to ignore her, I didn't want to end up in the principal's office.

'' Well, '' Mr. Thomas said, checking Edward's answers. '' Perfect as always, Edward. Thank you. ''

Edward turned around and looked at me on the way back to his seat. I couldn't really understand his expression. I guess it was a mixture of gratitude and exasperation.

Five minutes later the bell rang, indicating recess and I had never been more happy to leave this room, even if it was just for a few minutes.

'' Come on, '' Alice said, grabbing my hand and dragging me along with her. We ran into the hallway and yanked our coats of the pegs. I stumbled my way after her, trying not to fall on my face, while she dragged me along.

Normally, I would have told her to slow down, but I wanted to get outside as soon as possible, so I just tried to keep up with her.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Edward walking out of our classroom, quite alone.

I wanted to turn around and go back for him, but Alice made that impossible.

'' He'll catch up, '' she said, without looking around. Alice sometimes said those things.

She seemed to know things sometimes. I didn't know why that was. Maybe she had a sixth sense or something like that.

We walked into the open air and I breathed a sigh of relief. The fresh air felt nice on my face and I hadn't realized just how much I had longed for it until now.

Alice dragged me over to one of our favorite benches and we sat down, waiting for Edward and the others. They found us soon enough.

'' You didn't have to do that, Bella, '' Edward muttered, not meeting my eyes. '' I don't want you to get into trouble because of me. ''

I snorted at him. '' Edward, your my friend and I don't want them to be mean to you. You could say thank you, you know. ''

'' Yeah, thanks, '' he mumbled, looking at his feet now.

'' Eddie, you really need to stick up for yourself, bro, '' Emmett said, throwing his arm around Edward's shoulder.

'' Don't call me that, '' Edward mumbled, trying to shrug away from Emmett's arm.

Edward didn't like it when someone called him Eddie. Most of the time it was Emmett who called him that. I understood why he didn't like it. I didn't suit him. He wasn't an Eddie, he was just Edward.

'' And stop being such a nerd all the time! '' Emmett added, ruffling Edward's hair now.

'' Emmett, '' I hissed, glaring at him now. He laughed loudly and turned to Jasper.

'' Wanna throw some ball? '' he asked, grinning.

'' Sure! '' Jasper answered, walking toward the corner to pick one of them.

'' You wanna join? '' Emmett called over his shoulder.

'' No, '' the four of us said in unison. Edward let out a sigh and sat down next to me.

I wanted to comfort him, but I was at a loss how to do that. I had never been enormously tactful. I wasn't really good at these sort of things, unless he wanted to hear some silly cliche's and I doubted that.

Those cliche's were all I had in store at the moment, so I just sat there in silence, staring at our classmates.

The rest of the day moved really slow. I was looking forward to the end of the school day, but I knew I had to stay behind for a little bit.  
'' I'll wait for you outside, '' Alice whispered when the bell rang. I nodded without enthusiasm and remained in my seat while the rest of the class walked towards their freedom.

'' Bella, '' Mr. Thomas said, walking toward my desk when all my classmates had left the room. He drew up a chair and went to sit on the other side of my table, facing me.

'' Bella, '' he said again and sighed a little. '' I know you mean well, but violence is never the answer. ''

I nodded, but didn't say anything. What was there to say? If I said what was really on my mind I would be in more trouble.

'' I will send you to the principal next time and inform your parents, '' he added, looking stern now.

I nodded again. My parents. What would they say? Would they back me up or choose Mr. Thomas's side? It all depended. Grown ups could be really strange.

'' I'll see you tomorrow, '' he said, standing up again. That was it? Well, that wasn't so bad. At least Alice didn't have to wait long. I grabbed my bag and walked out of the classroom.

'' See you tomorrow, Mr. Thomas, '' I mumbled, trying not to trip over the doorjamb.

I shrug into my coat and walked outside. Alice was easy to find. She was waiting for me on our bench.

'' What did he say? '' she asked, jumping up and joining me.

'' Not much. ''

'' No punishments? ''

'' Nope. ''

'' I guess that's something, '' she said, frowning a little. '' I'm really grateful you stuck up for him today, but I don't want you to be in trouble either. What if you were sent to the principal? ''

'' So? '' I said a little defiantly. '' They're the mean ones. Someone should speak up. ''

I realized that my tone was rather accusatory. I didn't want her to feel bad.

She looked at me and grimaced. '' I'm sorry, '' I added. '' I didn't mean you. ''

'' Well, he's my brother, '' she mumbled. '' I should stick up for him, too. I guess I'm not as brave as you are. ''

Me? Brave? She was joking, right? I wasn't brave at all. I was clumsy and blushed a lot. Most of the time I didn't even know what to say. It was just that I couldn't stand it when people were being mean. Especially to my best friend. It just made me so angry.

I wanted to tell her that, but at that moment she stopped dead in her tracks. I had been looking at my own feet, so I didn't realize she had stopped immediately. I turned around.

'' What are you doing? '' I asked, frowning at her.

'' Bella, '' she whispered, a look of horror on her face.

'' What? ''

She didn't respond, but pointed a finger at something in the distance. I swirled around and froze were I stood. No!

* * *

_Edward's POV. _

Alice said she wanted to wait for Bella, but I had seen enough of school for one day, so I went home. I didn't hate the classes, I just couldn't stand all those annoying people. I didn't really care what they thought, but their comments seemed to be getting worse. Why couldn't they just leave me alone? It's not like I had harmed them in any way. In fact, I rarely spoke to them at all. To anyone really. What was there to say? I wished I were back in my room again. No one would disturb me there. It was my safe place. My own little world.

Bella had stood up to Lauren and the others today. For me. I was touched that she cared about me and wanted to help me, but I also didn't want her to be in trouble because of me.

It was not like I could protect her or something. I frowned and kicked a few pebbles out of my way. It seemed that the roles were reversed lately. How I dreamed that I could be her hero. Protect her and save her if something ever happened to her. Now look at the situation. It seemed I was the damsel in distress and she was my- my what exactly? My Spiderman? My knight in shining armor? Could it be any worse? I didn't deserve her. She was a better friend to me than I could ever be for her.

'' Hey there, nerd! ''

I looked up and saw Mike Newton and his- well, gang, by lack of a better word – standing a few feet away from me. I stopped. _Perfect, _I thought sarcastically. _Just what I needed. _

I looked around, trying to find a way to avoid them, but it was impossible. Luck was never on my side.

'' I said: Hey there, nerd! '' Mike Newton repeated, stepping closer to me. '' It's very rude not to reply. ''

I didn't say anything. I had nothing to say to them. I just wanted to go home.

Mike stopped in front of me and pushed me against my chest. I staggered back, trying to keep my balance. '' Are you deaf? '' he said, raising his voice. He towered over me and tried to intimidate me.

'' Leave me alone, '' I mumbled. He laughed loudly and a few others followed his example.

They all moved closer now, sneering at me.

'' What a dork! '' Lauren sneered, her nasal voice hurting my ears a little. Mike pushed me again, harder this time and I lost my balance. I fell backward and landed on the concrete. At least my backpack had broken my fall a little.

'' Not so smart now, huh? '' he said, towering over me again. That wasn't exactly difficult at the moment since I was lying on the ground.

'' Just leave me alone, '' I mumbled again, trying to get up. He wasn't having that apparently because he put his foot on my chest and pushed me down again.

'' Not so fast, '' he said, also sneering now. He was enjoying himself. Of course he was. He had all the power. I was alone and defenseless.

He put his foot down on my chest again, harder this time. It really hurt. I gasped for air and winced when his foot sent sharp pains through my chest.

'' Stop, '' I said, but my voice was weak.

'' I don't think so, '' he said, a nasty smile on his face. '' Maybe if you beg for it! ''

Right. I was never going to do that. I'd rather be beaten to a pulp. I had a feeling he was going to do that anyway. I looked at him without saying anything.

'' Well? '' he threatened, kicking me in the chest again. I didn't respond and just glared at him. Yes, I was a dork, a nerd, a loser, whatever you wanted to call it. But I wasn't going to give in to him. Like I said, I would rather be beaten to a pulp.

'' What are you looking at, four eyes? '' he thundered when he saw my defiant glare.

He bend forward and yanked my glasses off. This wasn't helping. My vision became a little blurry. '' You won't need those anymore, '' he said and I heard a crushing sound. He had thrown my glasses on the ground and had smashed them with his other foot. Great. I didn't have an extra pair. He kicked me in the chest again.

'' Are you ready to beg for it now? '' he sneered again. I winced, but didn't respond.

'' Leave him alone! ''

I groaned. I recognized that voice everywhere. I closed my eyes and hoped to die, or just disappear. Whatever was quickest.

'' I said: Leave him alone, Mike! '' he stopped in front of him and put her hands on her hips.

'' Look who it is! '' Lauren sneered again. '' Bella the loser-lover! ''

'' Shut your face, Lauren! '' Bella snapped, glaring at her for a minute. '' Mike, let him go! ''

What was she thinking? There were seven of them. He would never listen to her. She would just get into trouble. All because of me. Because I was such a loser. I couldn't even stick up for myself, let alone for Bella. I opened my eyes in surprise when I felt Mike's foot disappear from my chest. Why would he listen to her? I looked up and saw him looking at Bella.

'' Mike, what are you doing? '' Lauren said, glaring at him now.

Mike ignored her question and kept staring at Bella.

'' Go away! '' Bella snapped at him, furious now. '' And leave him alone! What has he ever done to you? ''

Mike sneered a little, but didn't kick me again. '' Bella, you can't be serious, '' he said, laughing a little. '' Why stick up for him in the first place? ''

'' Because he's my friend! '' she shrieked.

'' I would be a better friend, '' he offered suddenly. So that's what was going on? He liked Bella? No! I didn't want that.

'' I'll never be your friend! '' she spat at him. '' Now go away and leave him alone! ''

He scowled at her for a minute before composing his face again. He conjured up a smirk and looked a little arrogant.

'' I know you'll change your mind about that someday, Bella, '' he said, grinning at her.

Then he aimed another kick at me, hitting my leg and turned around.

'' Come on, '' he said, waving his hand at the others. They threw me another glare and followed after him. Lauren's face was full of rage, but it wasn't directed at me this time.

She glared at Bella for a moment, but then turned around and left with the others.

I just hoped she would leave Bella alone. And Mike too. I felt a sudden rage I couldn't quite explain. I didn't like the way he looked at her. The way he talked to her.

'' Are you okay? '' Bella asked, holding her hand out to help me up.

'' I'm fine, '' I mumbled, avoiding her eyes. This was the second time in one day that she had stood up for me. I felt like such a loser. Not just because I needed a girl to protect me, and that was definitely the case right now, but mostly because I wished with all my heart that I was the one protecting her. It should be that way.

'' Oh, no, '' she said, bending over to get my broken glasses off the ground. '' Edward, your glasses. ''

I shrugged and took them out of her hands. '' It's fine. ''

'' Can you see enough to walk home? ''

She knew my eyesight was terrible, but I wasn't blind or anything. I would find my way home. '' It's fine, '' I mumbled again.

I turned around and walked home. Bella and Alice followed me, but didn't say anything.

I wasn't paying attention to the road and since my glasses were gone I wouldn't have seen it anyway. I stumbled over a branch and fell down again, scraping my knees.

'' Edward! '' Bella called, rushing over to me. He put her hands on my shoulders and helped me up again.

I shrugged away from her and she dropped her arms. '' Are you okay, Edward? '' she asked, concerned.

'' Leave me alone, '' I grumbled, looking away from her. I wasn't mad at her, just embarrassed. I had humiliated myself enough for one day.

'' Edward, '' Bella began, but I interrupted her.

'' Go away, '' I mumbled, and I walked away from her. '' And leave me alone. ''

I walked a little faster. I knew I would probably fall down again if I didn't pay more attention, but I just wanted to get away from her. Away from everyone. I just wanted to be alone. I felt ashamed and stupid. I really was a loser.

She didn't talk to me again and I didn't turn around to see if they were still behind me.

I opened the door, took my coat and shoes off and stumbled my way up to my room, closing the door behind me. I let out a sigh of relief and fell down on my bed. I would just hide here for the rest of the day. That was the least I could do.

'' Edward? '' my mom called after a minute. I gritted my teeth and scowled at the ceiling.

I heard her footsteps on the stairs and she knocked on my bedroom door a few seconds later. '' Edward? '' she asked again. '' Is everything alright? ''

I didn't answer her. I didn't want to talk to anyone.

'' Sweetheart? '' my mom asked again, knocking on the door once more.

'' Can I come in? ''

I didn't respond, but she entered anyway. She saw me lying on the bed and walked over to sit beside me.

'' Sweetheart, what's wrong? '' she asked, concerned. I didn't want to hear her concern. I didn't want anyone to be worried about me. I had had enough of that today.

'' Where are your glasses? '' she asked when I didn't respond. '' Did something happen to you? ''

'' They're in my pocket, '' I answered.

'' Why? ''

'' They broke. ''

'' Did you have an accident or something? '' she sounded a little panicked now. Fantastic. Now my mother felt sorry for me too.

'' Yeah, '' I muttered.

'' What happened? Did you fall down? ''

'' Something like that. ''

She frowned and put her hand on my forehead, smoothing my hair back a little.

'' Did someone hurt you, sweetheart? '' she asked. I didn't answer that question.

'' I'm your mother, dear, '' she continued when she knew I wasn't going to answer her question. '' You can tell me anything. ''

There it was. The concerned mother act. I really didn't want to talk about it, but I did need new glasses and I knew she wasn't going to let it go until I told her what happened.

'' Yeah, '' I mumbled again, still looking at the ceiling.

She frowned a little. '' Yes, what? Yes, you can tell me anything or yes, someone hurt you? ''

'' Both, '' I whispered, still not looking at her.

She was silent for a moment and then she threw her arms around me, hugging me to her chest. It was too much. This whole day was too much. I was rarely weepy, but I couldn't help myself. This was my mother after all. It wasn't that embarrassing. She pressed the side of my face against her chest and ran her fingers through my tangled hair in a soothing manner. I didn't even try to resist. I suddenly realized I welcomed the comfort. I had needed it so badly.

'' Oh, sweetheart, '' she whispered, kissing the top of my head. I didn't fight the tears that fell down my cheeks. I didn't want to. It wasn't just because of Mike and those other horrible kids. It was everything. The comments, the way he had knocked me down and had broken my glasses, their laughter at my pain, and most of all Bella. She had stood up for me twice today and I had been mean to her. I really wasn't mad at her, I was just so embarrassed. I was sure she thought I was loser. I was a loser, a nerd. I was nothing. Everyone else saw that. She would see it too and then she wouldn't want to be around me anymore. And the things Mike had said to her. The way he had smiled at her. Yes, it was everything. This day was just a nightmare and I wanted it to be over.

My mom didn't say much, she just soothed me and let me cry for a while.

She pulled me away a little to look at my face when I had calmed down a little.

'' Let's go see your father and get you some new glasses, '' she said gently, wiping the tears away from my cheeks. I sniffed and nodded a little.

'' And after that you can tell us what happened, is that alright? '' she smiled at me now.

'' Okay, '' he whispered, unable to speak louder.

'' What about Alice and Emmett? '' I asked after a minute. Weren't they home yet?

'' Alice is next door with Bella and Rosalie and Emmett and Jasper have basketball practice. ''

Mrs. Hale would probably pick them up later. She usually drove them to practice.

My mom helped me down the stairs, afraid I would fall down without my glasses and helped me put on my coat. She walked into the kitchen and came back a moment later with a glass of water and a moist towel. She cleaned my face and I drank some water. It helped a little. I was feeling a lot calmer now.

We drove to the hospital and found my dad easily. My mom explained everything and I sat down on the couch in his office. I didn't feel like talking yet.

My dad called one of his colleagues, the optometrist. All medical things were in this hospital. That's what you get in such a small town as this. I was lucky that my dad was a doctor. The optometrist let me choose a new pair of glasses and he fixed them almost immediately.

'' Did you fall down? '' my dad suddenly asked, looking at my stained jeans. I merely nodded. '' Did you hurt yourself? ''

'' Not really, '' I mumbled. We were back in his office again.

'' Sit down, '' he ordered, pointing at the couch again. I sighed and sat down again. He rolled my jeans up to take a look at my knees. It wasn't that bad. Just a few scrapes. They would heal.

'' Let me clean those scrapes and then you can go home again with you mother, '' my dad said, picking up his medical kit. It didn't take long and we were outside again in no time.

'' Let's go get a drink and some pie,'' my mom offered in an attempt to cheer me up. It did work a little bit.

'' Okay, '' I said, smiling a little at her.

'' There, '' she said, kissing the top of my head again. '' Everything will be alright. ''

She drove to the diner and ordered a cup of coffee and a coke with two slices of apple pie.

'' This is nice, isn't it? '' she asked, smiling gently at me. '' Just the two of us. ''

I nodded my head and stuffed my mouth with apple pie.

'' Mom? '' I asked after a minute. '' Can I go see Bella later? I want to apologize to her. ''

She had helped me and instead of thanking her I had been mean to her. I really didn't deserve such a great friend. I wanted to make it up to her.

'' Of course, sweetheart, '' she answered, smiling at me again. She didn't ask any further. She knew I didn't want to talk about it yet. I had no doubt I had to talk about it tonight when my dad was home. At least I had a few more hours to think about everything. The most important thing right now was Bella.

* * *

_Bella's POV. _

'' Bella, this will definitely cheer you up! '' Alice beamed, dancing around the room. We were in Rosalie's room and Alice had forced me to sit down in front of the mirror. She wanted to braid my hair. Her idea of ' cheering up' wasn't exactly working for me.

This whole day had been a disaster. Mostly because of everything that had happened with Edward. And now he was mad at me too! I didn't know why, but I felt horrible.

And that Mike! Ugh!

'' What happened with Edward today? '' Rosalie asked, pirouetting in front of one of her other mirrors. She had put on a new dress and was admiring herself.

'' Some kids in our class were mean to him again, '' I sighed. '' I tried to help him, but know he's mad at me and I don't know why. ''

'' He's not mad at you, Bella, '' Alice said, brushing my hair. '' He's just embarrassed. ''

'' How do you know that? '' I asked, frowning at her through the mirror.

'' I know my brother, '' she said, rolling her eyes. I raised an eyebrow at her, but she didn't say anything else.

'' Edward should just learn to stick up for himself, '' Rosalie said, turning around to look at us now. '' They'll never stop unless he does that. ''

She had a point. Maybe I had just made everything worse. But I had to stick up for him. He was my friend.

'' I should've helped though, '' Alice mumbled, looking down at her feet.

'' Don't worry about it, '' I assured her, again. She felt a little guilty.

'' I can't believe what Mike said to you though, '' Alice said after a minute.

'' What did he say? '' Rosalie asked, opening her closet to find another outfit to try on.

'' He said he would be a better friend for me, '' I grumbled. '' He's such a jerk. I could never be friends with someone like him. ''

'' A lot of girls like him though, '' Rosalie said.

'' So? He's a jerk! ''

Rosalie merely shrugged. She was unbelievable sometimes.

The door opened at that moment and Mrs. Hale stepped into the room. '' Bella? ''

'' Yeah? ''

'' Your mother just called, '' she said. '' She asked you to come home. ''

I frowned a little. '' Why? ''

'' Edward's at your house. He wants to talk to you. ''

'' Oh.''

I stood up and ran my fingers through my hair, messing it up again.

'' Bella! '' Alice grumbled. I rolled my eyes at her.

'' I'd better go. See you tomorrow! ''

'' Bye! '' Rosalie called from her personal dressing room.

'' Say hi to you parents from me, '' Mrs. Hale said, holding the door open for me.

'' I will! ''

I stepped out into the rain and ran back to my house. I rushed inside and shrugged out of my coat.

'' I'm home! ''

'' In here, sweetheart, '' my mom called from the kitchen. I stepped in the heels of my boots to take them off, holding myself on the doorknob. I walked into the kitchen and spotted Edward sitting in one of the chairs. He was wearing a new pair of glasses. His mother must have taken him to the hospital.

'' Hi, '' he mumbled, looking at his hands.

'' Hi. ''

'' Well, '' my mom said, clapping her hand together. '' I need to do some laundry. I'll be upstairs. ''

'' Okay, '' I answered, falling into one of the kitchen chairs. My mom left the room and I looked at Edward. He was still looking down at his hands.

'' New glasses, '' I offered after a minute of silence.

'' Yeah, '' he mumbled. He hesitated for a minute and then looked up at me.

'' Bella, I'm sorry about you know, what happened earlier, '' he said, rushing through the words. '' I wasn't mad at you. I'm sorry I reacted that why. ''

'' It's okay, '' I said, smiling at him now. Alice had been right. He wasn't mad at me after all.

'' No, it's not, '' he muttered, frowning. '' You helped me and instead of thanking you I'm mean to you. I didn't mean it. ''

'' I know. ''

'' Best friends? '' he asked after a minute, looking at me again.

'' Best friends. '' He smiled and let out a sigh of relief. I had to laugh at that.

'' You wanna help me with my homework? '' I offered. '' I didn't really pay attention in class today. ''

'' I noticed, '' he said, laughing now. '' Of course I'll help you. ''

Everything was back to normal. Or at least, for now. We really did have to find a way to stop the bullying. Maybe I could ask my dad about it. He was a cop after all. Maybe he caught throw them in jail. I laughed at the thought. I knew it didn't work that way, but I enjoyed the thought for a minute. I pictured Lauren in a black and white striped prison outfit with a chain on her ankle, not allowed to eat or drink anything besides dry bread and water. It would serve her right. And as for Mike- if he hurt Edward again I would definitely tell my parents. I almost got into serious trouble for kicking a chair and he just got away with actually kicking Edward. Life was really unfair sometimes.

* * *

_**Yes, it really is. Don't we all just hate bullies? Poor Edward - Please tell me what you think and leave a review.  
I'll try to update the next chapter as soon as possible. **_

_**X. **_

_**Jo. **_


	3. I think I wanna marry you

**_A/N: Hi guys! ^^ Chapter three! I want to thank you all for reading my story, you guys are amazing! ^^ I hope you all like this chapter and please let me know what you think and leave a review! Enjoy! _**

**_Disclaimer: SM owns everything. _**

**_POV'S: Edward, Bella._**

* * *

_Edward's POV. _

I heard the doorbell ring and I turned my head to look at the alarm clock on my nightstand.

Right, five thirty P.M. I heard my mother answer the door but I didn't bother to go downstairs. I had been lying here, in the dark, on my bed, for the last two hours, listening to some music and trying to be alone with my thoughts. I was happy the week was over. It meant I could hide for a whole weekend without all the snide comments of my fellow classmates.

'' Charlie, Renée! '' my mom exclaimed downstairs. I heard their excited voices and let out a deep sigh. I usually enjoyed our Friday night dinners, but I wasn't really in the mood today.

'' Carlisle will be home soon, '' my mother said, leading them into the living room.

I heard a noise on the stairs after a couple of seconds and I didn't need to look to know who it was. That stumbling noise could only belong to one person.

'' Bella! '' my hyperactive little sister squealed. I heard Bells stumble again and groan, so I guess Alice was trying to drag her along. She probably wanted to show her one of her new drawings. The doorbell rang again after a few minutes and I listened to the same exchange of welcome.

'' Andrew, Lillian! '' my mother said, her warm voice one of welcome and delight.

She let the next pair of guest into the living room and I heard another noise on the stairs.

'' Em! '' Jasper yelled, rushing through the hallway, looking for my brother.

I also heard Rosalie entering Alice's bedroom and after a few seconds the loud noise of a horrible girl song reached my ears. I gritted my teeth and turn the volume of my own music up in an attempt to block the other ' music ' out. I had no idea if Bella enjoyed that garbage. I think it was a little too happy and girlie for her taste, but my sister would never hear no for an answer. I didn't think the Spice Girls were really Bella's thing. She usually enjoyed the music I listened to, and you wouldn't any Spice Girls songs in my music collection. I was more into classical music, because I loved to play them on the piano, and alternative rock. Alice always called my music taste depressing, but I liked the tunes and the lyrics. They had meaning.

I just lay there in silence, too lost in my own world to be social and start a conversation with anyone.

I heard the front door open again after a while and I heard the weary voice of my father in the hallway downstairs.

'' I'm home, '' I heard him say. He sounded tired. It had been a busy week at the hospital.

I heard a crashing noise in the hallway followed by someone thundering down the stairs.

'' Daddy! ''

Alice of course. I rolled my eyes and shook my head a little. Now that her bedroom door had flown open, the horrible sound of a Spice Girls song filled the whole second floor. I grabbed my pillow and covered my face.

I had been so absorbed that I hadn't heard her enter my bedroom. It wasn't until I felt the pressure on the end of my bed that I let out a gasp and threw the pillow off my face.

'' Hi there, '' Bella said, amused by my reaction.

'' Hi, '' I mumbled, picking my pillow off the floor and putting it back in place. '' Never heard of knocking? ''

Bella pressed her lips together to prevent herself from laughing at my disgruntled tone.

'' I did knock, '' she replied. '' But you didn't answer. ''

'' Don't you know the meaning of privacy? '' I grumbled, frowning at her a little.

'' Do you want me to go and knock again? '' she asked, still amused. I rolled my eyes again.

'' Too late now, '' I said, shifting my weight a little, so I could look at her without hurting my neck. '' Why are you so happy? '' I asked after a minute. She still had a smile on her face.

'' It's Friday, '' she answered, shrugging. I looked at her, nonplussed. '' Weekend, '' she elaborated after a minute.

'' Right, '' I said, letting out another heavy sigh.

'' So, '' she continued, flopping down on the bed next to me. Her action startled me a little and I shifted a couple of inches away from her. So much for personal space. I knew she did that all the time, but it seemed it could more uncomfortable with the passing of each year. I didn't know what that was, must be a growing-up thing. '' Why are you so glum? ''

She turned her head to look at me, her brown eyes full of questions.

I stared into them for a moment, trying to collect my thoughts. Her eyes were really pretty.

'' Er... '' I stammered, trying to find the right answer to her question. She giggled and pushed against my shoulder with her hand. She turned her attention back to my ceiling and was silent for a while, listening to my music.

'' I really like this song, '' she sighed after a minute. I had been concentrating on the lyrics and her voice startled me a little.

'' Yeah, '' I mumbled, a few seconds late. '' Me too. Radiohead is great. '' I guess you could call this one of my more depressing CD's. It was a collection of several bands I really liked.

Radiohead, Pearl Jam, some Nirvana. Yes, these songs were rather depressing, but I liked them. The words spoke to me.

'' But I'm a creep... '' Bella sang softly, still looking at the ceiling. '' I'm a weirdo... ''

'' What the hell am I doing here, '' I joined in. '' I don't belong here... ''

Yes, these lyrics summed up my feelings perfectly. Everybody thought I was a loser, a nerd, a weirdo in other words. I didn't really belong anywhere.

'' Edward? '' Bella asked when the song was finished.

'' Hm? ''

'' We're best friends, right? '' she asked, turning her head to look at me again.

'' Yeah, '' I answered, still looking at the ceiling.

'' Do you think, '' she began, but she bit her lip and didn't continue. She turned her head to look at the ceiling again.

'' What? '' I asked after a few seconds.

'' Do you think that we'll get married someday? '' she blurted out suddenly, still looking at the ceiling. '' My mom said that friendship is the most important foundation for a good marriage. ''

I felt my eyes widen at her words.

'' I- I... '' I stammered, unsure what to say. '' I don't know, '' I mumbled after a few seconds. I felt my face go red. Thank god I had closed the curtains a while ago. She wouldn't be able to see my flushed face. I had never really thought about that. I knew girls thought about that all the time. Alice had already designed her own wedding dress. She had also designed everyone elses for that matter. But that was my crazy little sister we were talking about. She was always looking at my parents wedding pictures, asking questions about dresses and whatnot.

'' Do you want to get married someday? '' she asked after a minute.

'' I haven't really thought about that, '' I answered honestly.

'' Yeah, '' she sighed after a minute, turning her head to smile at me. '' I guess Alice is getting to me. She kind of forces you to think about that. ''

I nodded. '' Yeah, Alice is crazy, '' I said, returning her smile. She laughed at that.

She suddenly took my hand without saying anything and stared at the ceiling again.

We had also done this before, a million times. But like I said, these things seemed to get a little more uncomfortable with the passing of each year. It had seemed like the most normal thing in the world a few years ago. I didn't even think about it then. I guess growing-up makes everything more complicated. I still liked to be with her though. She was still my best friend. I wished it could always stay this way.

'' Kids! '' my mom called after a while, making the both of us jump. We had been listening to my music and her voice had seemed really loud and intense for some reason.

'' Dinner's ready! '' she called again. I let out another sigh and rolled over.

Bella giggled again jumped off the bed, staggering a little to keep her balance.

'' I see those dance lessons aren't really paying off, '' I noted, laughing at her never ending clumsiness.

She grumbled a little. She, Alice and Rosalie were all in the same dance class. Her mother had insisted on that in the hope it would solve her balance problems. It seemed like a lost cause to me.

'' Stupid ballet lessons, '' she grumbled. '' I'm literally the worst dancer on the planet. ''

'' Maybe you'll get better, '' I said, trying to be reasonable. It was difficult. I doubted she would become an elegant ballerina someday. It wasn't really her thing either. Alice on the other hand was great at it. We were always forced to go to their recitals. But then again, the others were also forced to come to mine. The same went for Emmett and Jasper's basketball games, or any other sport they were involved with. They hadn't really decided what they liked best.

'' Right, '' she said, rolling her eyes at me. '' Come on, let's go. '' She stepped out into the hallway and carefully walked down the stairs, holding the railing with both hands.

Dinner was the same as it was every week. The food was delicious of course, since my mom had cooked this week. The women talked about female stuff, like gardening, us, the latest gossip, us, some new recipes they wanted to try and us.

The men were discussing politics, work, a little more politics and sports. Everyone was chattering away, but I kept silent, enjoying my meal and listening to their conversations. I didn't have anything to say.

'' Edward, how are the piano lessons going? '' Renée asked suddenly when we were about to start dessert.

'' Fine, '' I mumbled, looking at my plate in front on me.

'' Don't be modest, sweetheart, '' my mom said, rubbing my cheek on her way to the kitchen. '' What can I say, '' she continued, smiling affectionately in my direction. '' My son's a prodigy. ''

'' Mom, '' I muttered, embarrassed by the attention.

'' Geez, thanks mom, '' Emmett grumbled, frowning at her. She laughed and smoothed his hair back.

'' And you're just really cool, Emmett, '' she added, rubbing his cheek like she had mine.

Emmett grinned at her and put his chest out. '' That's right, '' he said loudly. '' Youngest basketball captain ever! ''

I rolled my eyes at that. '' I don't know about ever, '' I mumbled.

'' Oh, that's right, '' Charlie said, clapping Emmett on the back. '' Good for you son! ''

'' They're growing up so fast, '' Lillian said, smiling ruefully at all of us.

'' Tell me about it, '' my mom said, putting a fresh made apple pie in the middle of the dining table. '' It seemed only yesterday that they were all in diapers, learning their first words and waddling across the living room. ''

I wanted to smack my head on the table at her words. Mothers and their embarrassing ways.

They all moved toward the living room after our dinner for some coffee. I just wanted to go back upstairs.

'' Mom, can I go back upstairs? '' I asked after a half our of polite conversation.

'' Okay, sweetheart, '' my mom answered. She knew I wasn't good at these sort of things. I stood up and slouched back upstairs. I closed my bedroom door behind me and flopped down on my bed again.

I thought about what Bella had said to me before and felt myself go red again.

Bella really was my only real friend in the world. I had my brother and sister of course, and Rosalie and Jasper for that matter, but that was different. We didn't really have anything in common. We had just known each other since forever. Is that really what would happen? That Bella and I would get married someday? I didn't really know anything about marriage.

I knew that my mother and father were really happy together. They really loved each other.

I didn't know if I loved Bella like that. I guess we were still a little too young for that. But I did know that if I would get married someday, I would probably want to marry her. She was the only one who didn't see me as a loser. She cared about me. She liked me just the way I was.

She was always nice to me and she seemed to understand me. And I really liked her.

I really did like her more than I would ever dare to admit. She was very pretty. I liked her big brown eyes and her beautiful curly, brown hair. Everyone always thought that Rosalie was the pretty one, but I thought Bella was prettier. Maybe that was just because she was my best friend. Maybe.

Rosalie could ever be my best friend. She only cared about the outside. She liked all the attention. I didn't understand that girl at all.

No, Bella was definitely prettier than Rosalie and if I had to marry someone someday, I really wished it could be her.

* * *

_Bella's POV. _

'' Honey, it's time to go come, '' my mom said, walking back into the living room. I had been playing a silly game with Alice and Rosalie. Alice had picked it out. It had something to do with fashion.

'' Okay, '' I said, jumping up. '' Let me say goodbye to Edward first. ''

'' Sure, honey, '' my mom replied. I went upstairs and knocked on his bedroom door.

'' Yeah? '' I heard him grumble from inside his room. I tried to hold back my laughter. He could be really grumpy.

I opened his door and sat down on the side of his bed again.

'' We're going home, '' I said, smiling at him. '' I guess I'll see you tomorrow. ''

'' Sure, '' he answered, still looking at the ceiling.

'' We can do our homework together if you want to, '' I offered.

'' Okay, '' he responded, still not looking at me.

'' Are you okay? ''

'' Yeah, just tired, '' he answered. He looked at me and smiled a little. '' Sorry, I haven't been very social today. ''

'' That's okay, '' I said. '' We can spend some time together tomorrow then. ''

'' I'd like that. ''

'' Well, '' I said, standing up again. '' Good night! ''

'' Good night, Bella. ''

I walked down the stairs again and met my parents in the hallway. I shrugged into my coat and tried to step into my boots without falling down. I tried to keep myself busy while my parents thanked Esme and Carlisle for the delicious food and wonderful evening.

'' See you tomorrow, Bella! '' Alice called, dancing into the hallway.

'' How did you- '' I started to say, but changed my mind. Alice just knew things sometimes.

I was beginning to think she really had a sixth sense or something. She grinned at me and wrapped herself around Carlisle's arm. Alice was definitely daddy's little girl.

'' Bye, sweetheart, '' Esme said, kissing my cheek before opening the door and waving us off.

'' Bye! '' I called, already outside. I wanted to go come now. I was really tired and I just wanted to read something before going to bed.

'' Where's the fire? '' my dad asked, laughing at his own joke. I rolled my eyes at him and tapped my foot impatiently, waiting for him to unlock the front door.

I stepped inside, shrugged out of my coat and tried to take my boots off without hurting myself, and walked toward the stairs.

'' I'm going to bed, '' I announced, already halfway up the stairs.

My parents looked a little startled. '' Are you alright, sweetheart? '' my mom asked, concerned.

'' Yeah, just tired, '' I answered. '' Good night! ''

'' Good night, honey, '' my mom and dad called at the same time. I walked into the bathroom and brushed my teeth. I changed into my pajamas and picked a book of the shelves. I crawled into bed and turned my night light on, so I could read.

I managed to read a few pages before I fell asleep. I must have been more tired than I had realized. It had been a long day after all.

* * *

I woke up early the next morning, having gone to bed early the night before. I thought that my parents would still be asleep, but they surprised me when I entered the kitchen and found them both sitting there with a cup of coffee. My dad was reading the newspaper, muttering under his breath about all the terrible things that happened in big cities. He always did that. My mom was doing the crosswords while sipping her coffee and tapping her chin with her pen.

She looked up when I entered the kitchen and smiled at me.

'' Good morning, sweetheart, '' she said. '' You're up early today. ''

I just nodded and sat down at the kitchen table.

'' Are you hungry? '' she asked after a minute.

'' Yeah, '' I answered, ready to stand up again and find some breakfast.

'' No, I'll get it, sweetheart, '' she said, pushing me down into my chair again. She opened a few cupboards and put my cereal on the table along with some orange juice.

'' Any plans for today? '' she asked, taking her seat again.

'' I'll be next door later, '' I said, gulping down my orange juice before starting on my cereal.

'' I promised Edward we could do our homework together. ''

'' On a Saturday? '' she asked, frowning a little. I shrugged, but didn't answer her question.

'' That's very responsible of you, '' my dad commented, putting down his newspaper for the first time, so I could see his face. '' School's important. ''

I nodded and stuffed my mouth with cereal.

'' Don't forget to have some fun as well, okay? '' my mom said, returning to her crosswords.

'' Sure, '' I said between bites. '' We'll have fun. ''

I put my bowl of cereal and empty glass in the sink and went back upstairs to take a shower and dress for the day. I would be inside all day, so I put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, not bothering to find something warmer. I brushed my hair and searched for a rubber band. I made a ponytail and threw my wet towel in the hamper. I dashed into my room again and grabbed my books before heading down the stairs again. I wanted to get out of the house and spend some time with Edward. He had looked kind of miserable yesterday. I guess it had something to do with everything that had been going on in school lately.

I entered the kitchen again, so I could see goodbye to my parents.

'' Okay, '' I said, stuffing the books in my bag. '' I'll be next door. ''

'' Hold on a minute, Bells, '' my dad said, hanging up the phone. I hadn't even noticed he was talking to someone.

'' What is it? '' I asked, frowning a little. Had Edward called? Didn't he want to hang out anymore?

'' You need to be back at four, '' he said, sitting down again.

'' Why? ''

'' We're going down to La Push tonight, '' he announced. '' Just talked to Billy. It's been a while. ''

I groaned and pulled a face.

'' Hey now, '' he said sternly. '' Don't be like that. Everyone will be there. ''

Yes, I knew what that meant. Things would be crowded and I would be forced to make small talk with all the other kids. It's not that I didn't like them, I just never knew what to say. There lives were so different from mine. They went to school on the reservation, so we hardly ever ran into each other. It seemed like two different worlds to me.

'' Fine, '' I grumbled, slumping my bag over my shoulder. '' I'll be back at four. ''

I walked over and kissed my mother on the cheek before fleeing out of the house.

I opened the front door and was pleased to see that it wasn't raining. Yet. I hoped it stayed that way. If everyone in La Push was going to be there it would be very crowded and that meant we all had to sit outside. That wouldn't be comfortable if it was raining cats and dogs.

I jumped over the low fence and banged on the door.

'' Good morning, Bella, '' Esme said, holding the door open for me. I stepped inside and shrugged out of my coat.

'' Morning, Esme, '' I said, stumbling into the wall because I had tried to take off my boots while holding my bag. Not a great idea.

'' Edward is in his room, '' she said before walking back toward the kitchen. Of course he was in his room. He was always in his room.

I went upstairs, trying to be more careful this time and reached his bedroom door without injuring myself. I knocked and heard a soft, '' Enter. ''

I opened the door and walked in. He was behind his computer, playing some sort of video game.

'' Morning, '' I said, flopping down on his bed again, like I always did.

'' Morning, '' he said a little vaguely. It must be an interesting game. I waited for him to finish this 'important ' game, so we could start on our homework. Luckily it didn't take long.

'' I have to be back at four, '' I said, opening one of my schoolbooks and spreading it out in front of me. We had thrown a few pillows on the floor to lie on.

'' Okay, '' he said, looking for a pen. '' Are you going somewhere? ''

'' La Push, '' I grumbled, scowling at the piece of paper in front of me. Edward turned around to look at me when he heard my disgruntled tone.

'' And that's bad because? '' he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

'' It's not bad, '' I said, trying to explain myself. '' I just don't really feel like going. It's always so crowded. Too crowded. ''

'' Yeah, I guess, '' he said, lying down next to me again. He didn't go to La Push as often as I did. My dad had some great friends there, so I was forced to go there more often than the rest of them. Really, I didn't mind, most of the time. They were very nice people. I just wanted to spend the day with Edward, doing some homework, talking about a few things, maybe watch a movie or something. We could still do that, I guess. I just needed to check the time.

'' Are you going to tell me why you were so happy yesterday? '' I asked sarcastically after a few minutes.

He sighed and rolled his eyes at my tone. '' It's nothing, '' he said, scribbling away on one of his notebooks.

'' You know you can tell me anything, right? '' I said. I wanted to be there for him. That's what best friends are for after all.

'' I know, '' he said, smiling up at me now. '' It really was nothing. I was just tired. ''

'' It wanted because of everything that has been going on at school lately? ''

'' Well, '' he said, hesitating. '' It's a part of it, of course. Can't say I'm thrilled with all the special attention. '' He made a face, but shrugged after a minute. '' I'm trying not to think about it too much. I've got more important things to worry about. ''

'' Like? ''

'' I don't know, '' he said, focusing on his homework again. '' School, piano lessons, that sort of thing. ''

I didn't respond. I knew he would come to me if he really wanted to talk about it. I don't think he was being completely honest with me, but I didn't like it if someone forced me to talk about things I didn't want to talk about, so I wasn't going to force him either.

We worked in silence for a while and Esme called us after an our or two for lunch.

We were already finished with our homework, so I guess it was a good thing. I was pretty hungry.

We watched a movie after that, laughing about all the silly things on the screen.

'' Where are Alice and Emmett? '' I suddenly wondered. I hadn't seen them all day.

'' Emmett is over at the Hales, '' Edward said, opening a bag of crisps. '' And Alice went somewhere with dad. '' He rolled his eyes at that. '' I believe she wanted to go shopping. Only Alice would drag her dad along. ''

I laughed at that. '' Didn't Esme mind? ''

'' No, she had a ton of things to do at home, so she was happy dad could take her somewhere. Besides, you know Alice. ''

Yes, I knew Alice. Like I said before, total daddy's girl. I guess Carlisle didn't mind so much.

'' Bella, '' Esme called when the second movie had just started. '' Renée called me to remind you that you need to be home at four. ''

I grumbled again. Yes, I hadn't forgotten. '' I know, '' I called back.

As always, time wasn't being my friend. I was doing something fun, so of course it managed to speed up. It was four o' clock before I knew it.

'' I guess I have to go, '' I grumbled, lifting myself off the couch. '' I can come again tomorrow. If you want to, '' I added.

He smiled at me. '' Sure, that would be great. ''

'' Bye, Esme! '' I called, retrieving my stuff.

'' Bye, sweetheart, '' She called back from somewhere in the kitchen. '' Say hi to your parents from me. ''

'' I will! ''

I opened the door and ran back to my house, stumbling on the way. I jumped over the low fence and opened the door to my own house.

'' I'm back! '' I yelled, throwing my back in the corner.

'' Good, '' my dad said, appearing in the doorway. '' You can keep your coat on. We're going. ''

* * *

It was just as crowded as I had predicted, but it wasn't raining at least. We all sat outside, crowding around large bonfire. I really was pretty here. I always loved to go to the beach. My dad took me there every now and then.

The adults chattered away and the children sat in an awkward silence. We never knew what to say to each other, that's why I hadn't been in the mood to go to La Push today.

I sat next to Rachel, one of Billy's daughters. She and her twin sister, Rebecca, were a little over a year older than I was. They also had a little brother, Jacob. He had just turned six.

Next to us were the Clearwaters, Leah and her little brother Seth. Leah was two years older than I was and her little brother was four I believed. It was hard to keep track.

There were a few other kids there. I knew their names, but I didn't often speak to them.

I noticed Sam Uley sitting next to Leah. They were in the same grade, so they must know each other a little better. Embry Call and Quil Ateara were Jacob's age and were talking to him. I guessed that they were friends. There were a few other kids there, but I didn't really know their names yet.

We usually spent time at Billy's place. Harry Clearwater and his family often came over, so that's why I knew Leah and Seth too. My dad was really close to them and they always went fishing. My dad loved fishing. I didn't really know what was so fun about it, but he always seemed to enjoy himself. My mom was talking to Billy's wife, Sarah. I liked her. She was a nice woman. I talked a little with Rachel and Rebecca about school and such things. They went to school on the reservation, so at least we had something to talk about. We could exchange different stories.

I was happy when the time came to go home. I was tired because I had woken up so early this morning and I was cold. I had been sitting outside for hours and it wasn't exactly warm beach weather.

I went to bed almost immediately when we came home. I was happy I could spent the day with Edward again tomorrow. I think he felt a little lonely. I was the only real friend he had after all. I mean, Emmett and Alice and Jasper and Rosalie were there of course, but that was different. Even though Alice and Rosalie were great friends, I only had one best friend. And that would always be Edward.

* * *

_Edward's POV. _

The next couple of weeks were just the same as always. It was getting old. Couldn't they find something else to do besides trying to make my life a living hell. I couldn't really say that I was looking forward to middle school either. It wouldn't change a thing. This was such a small town, I would still have to deal with the same people.

When I opened the front door of my house on a rainy Thursday afternoon I was met with the excited squeals of my crazy little sister.

'' Geez, Alice, '' I groaned, covering my ears before she could cause some permanent damage.

'' No time to lose! '' She screamed, grabbing my wrist and dragging me up the stairs to our playroom.

'' What are you doing? '' I said, annoyed. I tried to yank my hand away, but she wasn't having that.

'' You'll see! '' she sang, running across the hallway. She opened the door and ran inside, still holding my wrist. '' Okay, everyone's here! Let's begin! ''

I grumbled and finally managed to free my arm. '' What's this all about? '' I asked, rubbing the spot were she had held me.

I walked over to one of the pillows on the floor and sat down next to Bella. She was frowning at Alice and let out a heavy sigh.

The others were also there, sitting on the couch in front of the TV, looking at Alice now.

'' I have come up with a new game! '' she announced excitedly.

Oh no. The last time she had said that, we all had to dress up and play Pocahontas for an entire afternoon. There was no way I would do that again.

'' I'm not playing Pocahontas again, '' I said, remembering the embarrassing outfit she had forced me in.

'' No, this is much better! '' she said, bouncing around the room. '' There are six of us right? Three boys and three girls. ''

I didn't like where this was going. I was painfully aware of her recent obsession and I had a feeling I wasn't going to like this game at all.

'' So? '' I asked, already dreading her next words.

'' We're having a wedding! '' she squealed, clapping her hands together and bouncing around the room again.

Yes, this was exactly what I had been dreading.

'' No way! '' I said, trying to escape to my room before she could make me do something really embarrassing.

'' Edward, it won't work if you're not here, '' she said, pulling a sad face. Grr. She may be able to use that look on dad all the time, but it wasn't going to sway me.

'' What do you mean wedding? '' Emmett asked, frowning now. He hadn't been paying a lot of attention.

'' We can all get married! '' Her enthusiasm was really annoying me. How could someone be so happy all the time? It was unnatural.

'' Aren't we a little young for that? '' Jasper asked, frowning at Alice now. '' I mean, only grown-ups get married, right? ''

'' Not a real wedding, '' she said, rolling her eyes at him. '' Just for fun. ''

'' That's fun? '' I asked, getting more irritated by the minute.

'' Yes, Edward, it's fun! ''

'' But who's going to marry who? '' Rosalie asked. '' You can't marry one of your brothers, that's crazy! ''

'' I'll marry Jasper, of course, '' she said as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

Jasper pulled a face and Emmett burst out in laughter. I don't think those two were really into it either. The only problem was, Alice was. And if Alice really wanted something, it would probably happen.

'' Emmett, you can marry Rosalie, '' she continued as if this wasn't an insane game to play.

Emmett frowned at her. '' Why do I have to marry her? '' He pulled a face.

'' Well, '' Alice said, still way too enthusiastic about this stupid game. '' You can also marry Bella if you like, but then Rosalie would have to marry Edward and I don't think they would go well together. ''

Well, she got that right.

'' Wait, '' I said, holding my hand up. '' You mean I have to marry Bella? '' Things were getting uncomfortable again.

'' Yes, '' Alice said, turning her attention back to me again. '' You're already best friends. And it's Bella or Rosalie. You can choose. ''

'' How about, I don't want to marry anyone? '' I said, folding my arms across my chest.

'' No, that's not an option, '' Alice said, grinning at me. '' You have to choose. ''

'' Well, '' Rosalie said, frowning at me now. '' I'm not marrying Edward, so I guess he doesn't have to choose. ''

'' And who says I want to marry you? '' Emmett said, throwing a look at Rosalie.

'' Well, who says I want to marry you, crybaby! '' she retorted. '' Oh, I lost a little game of basketball and now I'm gonna cry, because I'm such a baby, '' Rosalie said in a mocking tone, pretending to cry and rubbing her eyes with her fists. '' A husband should be able to take care of his wife. With you it would have to be the other way around. ''

'' What? '' Emmett said, clenching his fists. '' I'm super tough. ''

'' Right, '' Rosalie scoffed, rolling her eyes at him.

'' Well, a wife should be supportive of her husband and you don't support anyone, '' he retorted. '' You only care about yourself! ''

'' See! '' Alice interrupted them before Rosalie could say something else. '' You're already fighting and acting like a married couple! ''

'' How come I don't get a choice? '' Jasper grumbled.

'' Because I can't marry one of my brothers, like I said, '' Alice said sternly, putting her hands on her hips. '' Why? Don't you like me? ''

Poor Jasper. I would feel sorry for anyone who had to marry my little sister. She would drive them crazy in less than a week. Even if this wasn't a real wedding, I pitied him.

'' Sure, '' Jasper mumbled, a little uncomfortable. '' I guess. ''

'' Well, there you go, '' Alice said, dancing around the room again. '' That leaves Bella and Edward! ''

I wanted to smack my head against the wall. Why was she doing this to me?

'' Alice,'' Bella said, still frowning at her. '' Do we really have to do this? ''

'' Yes, we do! '' Alice said, placing her hands on her hips again. '' This is fun, so don't spoil it. ''

Bella rolled her eyes at her, but didn't say anything else. I guess she had already accepted that this was going to happen. Great. No one was going to back me up in this and tell her this was a stupid game? Nice, really nice.

'' I have already written everyone's vows, '' she continued. Wait, what? Vows?

'' And I have also picked out the clothes, '' she said, moving towards the closet in the room.

'' What's wrong with the clothes we're wearing now? '' Jasper asked, looking down at his torn jeans and faded blue shirt.

'' It's not suitable for a wedding, '' Alice continued, throwing a set of clothes at everyone. Where did she even get all these clothes? I guess I knew the answer to that. Thanks dad.

'' Go change everyone! Boys, you have to get out and change in another room! Go! '' She ordered them, pointing a finger at the door.

Emmett and Jasper were both looking at their set of clothes with wide eyes, but walked out of the room to change anyway. Alice would get her way, no matter what.

'' Edward, go! '' Alice said, giving me a stern look. Grr. She was so annoying. Stupid little sister. I turned around and walked out of the room to change into my ridiculous costume.

'' Alice and her stupid games, '' I mumbled, while putting on the suit she had given me.

'' Yeah, '' Emmett agreed. '' Who in their right mind would ever marry Rosalie? '' He pulled a face and shuddered at the thought.

'' My sister isn't so bad, '' Jasper said. '' Your sister on the other hand... '' He also my a face and shuddered.

'' I guess you're the lucky one, Eddie, '' Emmett said as he put on his jacket.

'' Why? ''

'' You can marry your best friend, '' he explained. '' That's not so bad. ''

'' Well, '' I said, frowning at him now. '' Do you want to marry Jasper? ''

They looked at each other for a minute and both burst out in laughter.

'' Oh, yes, I do! '' Emmett said, pursing his lips at Jasper. '' Pretty boy! ''

'' You're not even married and you're cheating already! '' Jasper laughing, pushing Emmett's face away. I shook my head at them. They were also crazy.

'' Are you done? '' Alice yelled from the other room. '' We're waiting! ''

We all slouched back into the playroom, grumbling and scowling.

'' Oh, you all look great! '' she gushed, dancing around the room again. '' Do you like our dresses? '' She twirled around a few times in a big white dress. Seriously, dad, how could you allow this?

I looked around and spotted Bella in another large, white dress, grumbling in the corner of the room. At least she wasn't happy about this game either. She really did look pretty in that dress though.

Rosalie was admiring herself in one of the mirrors, turning this way and that.

'' I think I look pretty good in this dress, '' she mused, twirling around once. I rolled my eyes at that.

'' Okay, Jasper and I will get married first! '' she said, running over to Jasper and grabbing his hand. '' Edward, you can perform the ceremony. I've written everything down, so just read what it says. ''

She had also changed the playroom a little bit. There was a desk, which was apparently my place, and she and Jasper moved to stand underneath an arch of flowers. She had really gone overboard on this. Yes, she was definitely crazy.

I looked at the piece of paper she had handed me and let out a sigh.

'' Dearly beloved, '' I began, scowling at the piece of paper. '' We are gathered here today to witness the union of Jasper Hale and Alice Cullen. They have written their owns vows and like to say a few words. '' Well, now it was up to them.

Alice took out two pieces of paper and handed one to Jasper. He looked at it and frowned at the words he saw there.

'' I'll start, '' Alice said, looking down at her own piece of paper. '' Dear Jasper, I really like you and that's why I think we should marry. Also, because I can't marry my brothers, because that's really weird. You are very nice and you're also good at sports. I like your stories and I think we can be very happy together. '' She closed her piece of paper and smiled brightly at him. '' Your turn, '' she urged.

He frowned at his piece of paper again and let out a sigh. '' Dear Alice, I really like you even though I'm a year older than you. You are always happy and nice to everyone. I also like your clothes and you are really good at drawing. I'm really happy that we're getting married today. ''

He closed his piece of paper again and Alice turned to look at me. Right, I had to say something else.

'' Do you, Jasper Hale take Alice Cullen to be your lawfully wedded wife? ''

'' Eh, '' Jasper said, unsure of what to say.

'' You have to say I do, Jazz, '' Alice said, rolling her eyes at him

'' Oh, I do? '' he said. It sounded more like a question.

'' And do you, Alice Cullen take Jasper Hale to be your lawfully wedded husband? '' I continued.

'' I do! '' Alice said, excitedly. '' Oh, Rose the rings! '' she added, turning around.

Rose handed her a set of plastic, ugly rings. They were blue and pink.

'' You have to put in on my finger, Jazz, '' she said, holding out her hand.

'' Oh, '' he said, a little awkwardly. He took the ring and placed it on her finger. She did the same and turned to me again.

'' I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride, '' I finished.

Alice stood on the tip of her toes and gave Jasper a quick kiss. He just stood there, unable to say anything. I couldn't really blame him, he had just been kissed by my crazy little sister. Emmett barked out a booming laugh.

'' Congratulations, man! '' he shouted, clapping him on the back.

Jasper still had a look of horror on his face and wasn't able to move.

'' Okay, you guys are next! '' Alice said, grinning at Rosalie and Emmett.

'' There's no way I'm going to kiss her, '' Emmett said, a look of disgust on his face.

Well, I couldn't really blame him either.

'' You'll be sorry if you even try! '' Rosalie retorted, folding her arms across her chest.

I had to play the same role again and marry Emmett and Rosalie this time. I had a feeling my parents had helped her with these words. I recognized my mother's handwriting.

And thanks mom.

Alice had also written their vows.

'' Dear Emmett, '' Rosalie said, pulling a face. '' I really like you, '' she snorted a little. '' and I think you are great a sports. You laugh a lot and are always really nice to your little sister, '' she looked over at Alice and raised an eyebrow. I rolled my eyes at that. Only Alice would write such a thing. '' I think we will be very happy together, '' she concluded, folding her piece of paper again. '' As if, '' she added, rolling her eyes.

'' Dear Rosalie, '' Emmett began without much enthusiasm. '' I really like you and I think you are very pretty. You're brother is my best friend and now we can all be a family. '' He also looked over at Alice and raised an eyebrow. Alice merely beamed at him. '' I really like your clothes and your hair looks like the sun. It's also very pretty. I'm happy that I can marry you now. '' He pulled a face again and also folded his piece of paper.

Alice gave them another set of the same ugly looking rings and they put it on.

'' I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride, '' I said, already bored.

'' I'm not going to kiss her, Alice, '' Emmett said, pulling a face again.

'' Yes, you are, '' Alice replied, looking stern again. '' You have to! It's a part of getting married. And Rose, be nice! ''

'' Fine, '' Rosalie said, annoyed. She turned her face away from him and pointed at her cheek. Emmett pulled a face again and quickly kissed her cheek.

'' Ew! '' he said, rubbing his mouth with the back of his hand. '' Never again! ''

'' You got that right, '' Rosalie said, moving away from him. Jasper was laughing at the two of them now, but then he probably remembered his own 'wedding' and grimaced again.

'' Okay, '' Alice said, clapping her hands together. '' Emmett, you can take Edward's place now. Edward, Bella, your turn! ''

I grumbled and moved awkwardly forward. Bella did the same thing without much enthusiasm.

Emmett read the same lines as I had and Alice handed us both a piece of paper.

'' Edward, you first! '' Alice demanded. I unfolded the piece of paper and looked at the words.

'' Dear Bella, '' I said, trying not to stutter. '' You are my best friend and I really like you. I think you are very pretty and I'm always happy when you are around. I really like your brown hair and your pretty eyes. I'm happy I can marry you now. '' Well, it could have been worse. It wasn't exactly a lie either, except the whole marrying part. She really was my best friend and I really did think she was pretty.

'' Bella, your turn, '' Alice urged. Bella sighed and unfolded her own piece of paper.

'' Dear Edward, '' she said. '' You're my best friend and I really like you. I think you are really smart and I'm happy that you always want to help me with my homework. I really like your eyes. They are very pretty. I'm happy we're getting married today, because Alice and I can really be sisters now. '' She folded her piece of paper again and frowned at Alice.

'' It's true, '' Alice said, clapping her hands and handing us the rings. I took Bella's hand and placed the ugly pink one on one of her fingers. I really hoped I would have a nicer ring if I ever got married. She also placed the blue one on mine.

'' I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride, '' Emmett concluded, smirking now. Oh no. I wasn't going to kiss Bella.

'' Edward, give her a kiss, '' Alice demanded, pointing at Bella now. She had already guessed what I was going to see.

'' It's okay, '' Bella mumbled. She had been blushing furiously for the last five minutes.

I just looked at her, unable to move.

'' Give her a kiss, Eddie, '' Emmett boomed, laughing loudly. '' Don't be such a coward. ''

Right, a coward. Another thing to add to the list. I really wanted to move, but I had forgotten how to do that it seemed. Bella sighed and leaned forward. I just looked at her with wide eyes, unable to say or do anything. She pressed her lips against mine for a small second and leaned away again.

Emmett and Jasper were both howling with laughter and Alice clapped her hands excitedly.

'' That was so much fun! '' She squealed. Bella rolled her eyes at her.

'' Can I change back into my normal clothes again now? '' she grumbled. '' I can hardly move in this thing. ''

'' Yes, '' Alice said, pulling Bella away with her. '' Boys, get out! ''

I hadn't moved from my spot and was still trying to wrap my head around all of this. Bella had just given me a kiss. I didn't know how I felt about that, but it was definitely strange.

'' Eddie, come on, '' Emmett said, pulling me with him. '' Let's change back before we have to marry again. ''

'' Don't call me that, '' I said, still a little dazed. This was definitely a weird day.

* * *

_**Oh, the silly games children play! Innocence is bliss! ^^ I think we all remember those days!**_

_**Okay, I was thinking of skipping a few years now - not too many years, 2 or 3. Don't worry I will be using flashbacks from now and on every now and then. What do you guys think? I'm really making this story up as I go, so your ideas are more than welcome! Thank you all again for reading my story! ^^**_

_**I'm going to update the next chapter as soon as I can. Please let me know what you think and leave a review!**_

_**X. **_

_**Jo. **_


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